Design study, Technology
Tech Basics Classes
A self-initiated design study: Fill free beginner tech classes at the library and help each learner leave able to do one real task online.
These are self-initiated studies, not client work. Each is a fictional campaign; none was commissioned by, produced for, or approved by any agency or organization.
The brief
- Line of business
- Technology
- Audience
- Older adults and new computer users who want help with email, video calls, and online forms.
- Objective
- Fill free beginner tech classes at the library and help each learner leave able to do one real task online.
- When and where
- Mondays and Wednesdays | 10 am, Harbor Library computer lab
Concept A: Sunday Video Calls 12
Ties tech skills to connection, the video call with faraway family that makes the effort worth it. Type style.
Concept B: Skills by Name 12
Names the specific skills covered, so learners know exactly what they will walk away able to do. Scene style.
Concept C: No Dumb Questions 12
Promises a judgment-free room where the questions people are embarrassed to ask are the whole point. Grid style.
Spanish adaptation of Sunday Video Calls 12
The first direction adapted rather than translated: the headline, supporting line, and call to action rewritten in Spanish, with the layout reflowed for the longer text. Type style.
What was checked
Every one of the 48 pieces was checked as it was composed. The lowest text contrast measured anywhere in this study is 4.74 to 1, against a minimum of 4.5 to 1. Type sizes are in the units of each format: pixels for digital formats, and for print, units of the drawing at the sizes shown.
| Format | Minimum type size | Smallest set | Lowest contrast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster, 18 by 24 inches | 11 | 13.2 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Flyer, letter | 11 | 13.5 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Social story, vertical | 13 | 13.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Retractable banner | 10 | 10.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Display ad, 160 by 600 | 10 | 10.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Social post, square | 13 | 13.2 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Display ad, 300 by 250 | 10 | 10.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Postcard, 6 by 4 inches | 13 | 13.2 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Event cover | 12 | 12.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Billboard | 12 | 12.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Email header | 11 | 11.0 | 4.74 to 1 |
| Display ad, 728 by 90 | 10 | 10.0 | 4.74 to 1 |